Greg Schiano talks #Akron Postgame -- #Rutgers Scarlet Knights Football

guys thanks uh thanks for coming out and covering the team appreciate you appreciate you doing that um was really proud of our guys I thought they Cho through the our big thing was we got to chop the moment we can't let anything that happens in the past or any concern about the future getting the way and I thought we did that you know I was really going into into the game I was really uh I thought they did a great job defensively their scheme their guys their players and uh you know it took a little while to get it going but our guys just that's what chopping is just keep doing it and it'll work and I was pleased as a team we did that because there wasn't anything easy everything was earned but uh hats off to to akan and uh it's good to be one and0 in the akan season so I'll open it up break second star for Athan how do you think he fared and and how did he how do you think he fared in the passing game as well I know he did well you know I thought um he got hit on the on the interception and kind of affected the throw um I thought our receivers did a good job I thought they they ran better routes this week than a week ago they fought for the ball better with better extension so it's a work in progress for sure but we have some good really good young receivers and then we have you know some some older guys as well so I like the mix uh Chris long had that great touchdown catch he's had an interesting story here right um battling back from some injuries what made him stand out this summer to get him back kind of in the starting role and get things going again well you're right Chris has had a bumpy road for sure and uh you know we we've had a lot of serious good talks over the years um but he just made a decision that he was going to you know it could be discouraging right when all those things keep happening to you and he just made up his mind that he was going to come back and give it everything he had with no regrets and see where see where the chips fall and I'm happy for him that he's he's having success 200 yard day for Kyle I mean is I'm probably running out of adjectives for him at this point I me does anything about what he's able to do surprise you at this point anymore no I mean he he is a really really patient Runner has great vision and then when he decides to go he's violent I mean he he going to go I was uh I thought our offensive line you know I think they're just getting better and better every week they're working at it in practice our pad level's a little bit better every week and you know that's you know when you get tired your pad level starts to come up so it's part conditioning it's part technique but uh it's a good mix that line and they they they take care of him I mean that's their guy so yeah was it's good stuff between Chris Long's long touchdown a couple of you know deep passes to di Miller were you encouraged with your offenses ability to kind of stretch the field today and what they put on tape yeah I mean it's like I told you last week we had a couple called and they just you know sometimes the coverage is such that you're not going to do it you're not going to force it today we got some looks that were more favorable and uh I think you know I think the long one to Chris that ball was in the air maybe 45 yards I mean that was a that was a jet so um sure I call it fly over yards you fly over a lot of problems when you make those kind of plays you don't get holding penalties you don't get legal procedures you don't get tfls right you just go flying over it so when you can do that it's helpful for sure Ben Finley only threw for one 138 yards today what do you think was working for the defense against the air game well I thought the dline you know supplied pressure which is always the most important thing right if you can put pressure on the quarter back um we didn't know he's structurally do it correctly and he got out a couple times but uh I thought the coverage was good too I thought Robert longer beam really covered well I thought our safeties did a good job we had a bus there one bus that we got to make sure we fix um but you overall I thought the defense again played well we can play better on defense um and we will Once Upon a Time Ruckers had a Heisman campaign for a running back are we at the point where we should should start be talking about KY mananga and the conversation of the best players in college football I think you just did yeah I I don't know about all that you know we I'm not uh I'm not really into that and Kyle isn't into that but you're right I mean if he continues to play at a level like he is then I think that stuff takes care of itself really you know I know this um winning games is a huge contributing factor to that as well so as a team we need continue to improve and win games coach after halftime they come out you know open and drive they score a touchdown however you guys answer with a touchdown of your own six Place 75 yards six-minute Drive um you know what does that say essentially about the resiliency of this team and just what type of confidence ises that build in your offense well I thought that was really big in that game right because you're talking it turns into an 11-point game right so it's a two-score game and like you said we answered the Bell that was an important answer of the bell and again I I've always told our team games take on a life of their own you know you look at it say how did how did that get out of control like that um that was huge to go score with that that drive was was I think the the most important part of the game hey Greg just going back to Kyle for a second when you have a back who can not only get you the tough yards but get you the big chunk yards when those opportunities arise how important is that for an offense to have a back who can do that yeah I think again explosive plays are critically important right because like I said you know if you have to have a 16-play drive to score you almost have to be perfect and none of us are perfect so when you get those chunk plays whether it's flyover yards or it's big runs like Kyle has supplied at times it's hugely important to your overall success as an offense obviously a little unique to have a byee after two games but is it coming at a fortuitous time given how Bang up you guys were obviously coming out of camp and guys are still still dealing with some ailments here and there yeah it is um and we may had one or two more today so uh we'll continue to work it but you know the way we operate is that's part of football and we know that we have a great medical staff here I think the best in America and they they just they tell me hey here's the best case scenario here's the worst case and usually it falls somewhere in between there and that's how we do it we don't lament over we don't have this guy or we have that guy you you just got to go you got to move forward I thought uh Antoine Raymond stepped up right we don't have Sam Antoine steps up now and and really really did a good job so you know I think that's that's the mentality you have to have you feel that Pipeline with players and those guys got to be chomping at the bit for their chance their opportunity Malcolm Ray I know he had that big sack um but also just his willingness to take on multiple blockers as well seems like it led to a little bit more of an effective pass FR can you just speak to his impact today yeah Malcolm's worked really really hard since he arrived here um he's gotten he's changed his body he's really gotten to become a finely conditioned defensive lineman and uh you know coming off I know he was disappointed coming off his performance last week and we talked a lot about you know just chop your job and the plays will come to you and I think that's what he did today there's a saying we have see a little see a lot you know as a d linman the old lineman tell you everything you don't need to see a whole bunch and if you'll just have the discipline to react to what he does all of a sudden plays just come to you and I think that's what happened with him today I didn't you know quite honestly I can't see anything in there and but uh I didn't even know that he had the sack because I'm usually looking at the secondary see if we got him covered or not but uh yeah I heard the guys told me in the locker room that he had a sack which was great KJ do gets his first career touchdown what does that do for a young player who I I believe you you said a couple times he had a good preseason but for him to have have a touchdown have the results what does that do for a young players's confidence and and moving forward yeah it's uh we were very fortuitous there right I mean wow that ball bounces right off their guy I didn't really see it they told me that I didn't I didn't see the play but KJ is a big big Target and he's got really good hands so as he coach Brock and and Coach Perry as they keep getting him better and better fundamentally he's got he's got the it I mean he and Ian Strong are going to be two really really good receivers going forward gonna take a lot of work but it'll happen uh did Sam Brown reagg gravate the injury from last season and are you concerned about him moving forward well you never know with injuries right I mean I'm not going to get into the injuries that's that's what the availability reports for but we're just going to have to wait and see what the status is but as I said I was I was really proud of Antoine you know he stepped up and uh and perform very well going back to Athan he seemed to take more shots down the field today was that something by Design or did he just see it and take it well you don't just see it I mean the play's got to be called U he wouldn't last long out there if he just started taking shots on his own but um Kirk I thought called a great game I mean you go over 500 yards in offense you know that was good but it's all about the players executing and I think he you know there was a couple times that we had opportunities that either we got hit the one time and it was an interception um and there was another time that we had a guy and didn't quite get it I thought it you know it's a little gray there if when Ian Strong was on that nine nine ball there but it is what it is another good game for antoan Raymond you kind of touched on it before but what can you say about the work that he's done in the running back pecking order especially in limited time as a late reclassification yeah I mean he's he's strong as you can see he's he's going to be a really good running back he has that physicality that is big 10 football like you don't just hit him and he goes down very much you know he he's usually falling forward and that's uh that's a great trait to have as a running back so yeah I'm I'm encouraged the most important thing is he's taking care of the football as a young back sometimes you start to worry about production and forget about the most important thing the football he has he's been good with the ball so we got to just keep coaching the heck out of that and he's got to keep you know valuing that ball more than any yard so far so good in The Scarlet walk you had a little Embrace with Eric you had a few moments with him just was there more emotion in this game for you and what was just kind of the emotion of having that and everything around this game today yeah well I didn't get to see the pregame you know the walk but I want to thank everybody the guys told me there was like thousand people following him down the Scarlet night way and you know all those people did that raised money um for the believe foundation so I think first a big huge thank you to everybody who did that it was a great event Karen his mom who you know we've been through a lot together she was truly elated you know she said this was the best one we've had and that that made me feel good and Eric you could tell Eric had his game face on but he you could tell he liked it too uh but Eric's a football guy through and through so I was really thrilled that that that had a good they had a great event and then to be able to win the game convincingly like we did that's uh that's a real really good Saturday so again guys I appreciate uh appreciate you covering our team and get a week off and then we're back at it [Music] thanks hey hey hey